For the second consecutive year, Hope College has led all NCAA Division III volleyball programs in home attendance.

This past fall the Flying Dutch averaged 802 fans over 12 home dates to top the 400 Division III volleyball programs. Runnerup Heidelberg, Ohio was a close second with an average of 790.

"What a blessing it is to be a part of a community that cares so deeply about Hope College and our student-athletes," said coach Becky Schmidt.  We are very grateful for the support that we have received and look forward to continuing the growth of volleyball for both players and spectators alike."

Hope led the nation in home attendance for the first time in 2009. The Flying Dutch have played at DeVos Fieldhouse for five seasons and have a dedicated space for volleyball. It provides an exciting environment for the team's matches. Some matches are moved to the main court of the arena where twice last season crowds exceeded 2,000 fans.

Hope posted a 12-0 record on their home court and in five seasons are 55-5 at DeVos Fieldhouse.

The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) ranked third among all Division III conferences in home attendance last fall, averaging 249 fans across 89 home dates by the nine member colleges. Three other MIAA colleges ranked among the top 50 in Division III --  #27 Olivet 278, #31 Alma 255 and #37 Calvin 232. The leading conference was the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association with an average of 252 fans per match.